Panel known in the art for this use are for example those used in laminate flooring, wherein a core or carrier board is provided, preferably made of HDF or MDF, which is covered by a decorative layer and a covering layer.
Laminate flooring has many disadvantages, for example it does not provide for a smooth sound on walking. Recently introduced foam underlayment helps dampen this feeling, but not satisfactorily.
Another drawback of laminate flooring panels is that they lack water and moisture resistance. This can lead to deformation and deterioration of the panel, especially in moist environments or in outdoor applications.
DE4107151A1 of the applicant discloses a floor covering panel made of wood or chipboard, with a plastic film fixed to the upper surface with a layer of adhesive, and with jointing tongues or grooves at the sides; The plastic film is a multilayer film comprising an upper transparent layer based on polyolefin with little or no filler, a lower layer based on polyolefin and with inorganic fillers and/or pigments and a layer of adhesive.
This panel provides improved flexibility of the covering compared to thermoset coverings, and more warm feeling on walking but can not be exposed to humid conditions.
DE202004014160U1 describes a floor covering panel comprising a carrier plate consisting of a pressure resistant wood material, and a top layer incorporating a polymer foil and dampening layers made of cork either on the rear side of the carrier plate or between polymer foil and carrier.
While additionally focusing on sound insulation, also this panel has the drawback of lacking water and moisture resistance.
The above mentioned panels subsequently improve comfort issues of decorative panels but have some drawbacks since they do not allow for good anti-humidity performances.
Furthermore, the panels known in the art does not provide for a sufficient weight distribution, so that heavy objects that lean against a reduced area of the panel are likely to cause denting or local collapsing of the surface.